As Lin Jie had expected, Scotland Yard internally mocked and dismissed Constable Arthur Weston's "sighting report." The stubborn old police officer was ordered to take leave for self-reflection.
Meanwhile, the two investigators from I.A.R.C. seemed to have evaporated from White Church District, not appearing in Lin Jie's sight for two consecutive days.
This sudden calm didn't make Lin Jie feel relaxed; instead, it intensified his sense of crisis.
He understood this wasn't the enemy giving up the pursuit, but more like an experienced predator deliberately concealing its presence before hunting. It was waiting, waiting for the prey to reveal its weakness.
Lin Jie knew he couldn't wait any longer. Passive defense would only gradually strip him of all initiative, ultimately getting him strangled by this invisible net.
He had to take action, to stir up this stagnant water again in a way that would surprise everyone.
After confirming his latest hiding spot—an abandoned printing workshop—was temporarily safe, Lin Jie made what could be called a crazy decision.
He would actively search for the UMA codenamed "Mist Walker."
Since he couldn't obtain information through normal channels, he would create intelligence using the most primitive and dangerous method.
This plan sounded no different from suicide, but Lin Jie wasn't acting on impulse.
After days of observation and studying the sketches in the Cartographer's diary, he had gained a deeper understanding of his invisible enemy.
Mist Walker's hunting pattern was extremely cautious. It preferred targeting the most isolated, socially forgotten individuals.
Its targets were those bottom-tier prostitutes wandering alone late at night, completely intoxicated.
They were physically weak, mentally disoriented, and even if they disappeared, it would take a long time before anyone noticed.
Lin Jie concluded that this caution stemmed from its fear of "accidents." It detested any variable that might disrupt its perfect "predation ritual."
And what Lin Jie needed to do was become that biggest "variable."
He would imitate the UMA's target characteristics, disguise himself as perfect prey, walk into its hunting ground, then use himself as an insignificant pebble to pry open that massive, precise killing machine, forcing it to reveal a crack during operation.
This was a plan walking on a knife's edge, requiring extremely meticulous "disguise." Any detail gone wrong could lead to irreversible disaster.
After nightfall, Lin Jie began his preparations.
First, he needed to change his appearance.
A healthy Eastern man with clear eyes would never become Mist Walker's target.
Using leftover ink from the printing workshop mixed with dust, he carefully applied it to his face, creating a sickly appearance of long-term malnutrition and sallow complexion.
He tore his already ragged clothes further, making them look more tattered, hanging loosely on his body.
The most crucial step was changing his demeanor and gait.
He spent a shilling to buy a bottle of the cheapest gin from a black-market liquor dealer.
This strong liquor called "Old Tom" was the poison London's bottom class used to numb their nerves.
Just smelling that pungent aroma mixed with plant essences made Lin Jie feel dizzy.
He didn't drink it, but poured most of the bottle over his clothes, letting the strong alcoholic scent completely soak him.
Finally, he needed "prey" attire.
He sneaked into the garbage dump near his previous Rat's Nest apartment and luckily found a discarded, mud-stained old dress and an equally dirty headscarf.
This outfit emitted a nauseating sour, rotten smell, but for Lin Jie, it was the perfect camouflage.
When he put on all this equipment, the originally somewhat handsome young man in the mirror had disappeared.
In his place stood a thin, ragged, alcohol-soaked vagrant whose gender was difficult to determine.
He hunched his back, imitating the unfocused, staggering gait of a drunkard, deliberately emptying his eyes, making himself look no different from those poor souls crushed by life in White Church District.
At 11 PM, White Church District entered its most lively and dangerous time of day.
Lin Jie emerged from the shadows and began wandering within Mist Walker's core hunting ground.
His chosen route was carefully designed, connecting all previous crime scenes, and he would linger for extended periods in those neglected, dimly lit dead-end alleys.
The cold night wind blew, sweeping up garbage and dust from the ground.
Lin Jie felt unprecedented loneliness and fear.
He wasn't a professional actor—this full-body disguise was immense mental exertion for him.
He could feel the malicious gazes from street thugs and pimps, but after sizing him up, they all lost interest and looked away.
A drunken vagrant whose gender was unclear had no value worth exploiting.
The disguise... had succeeded.
Now, only waiting remained—waiting for that truly deadly tracker to take the bait.
His only reliance was the Webley Revolver hidden under his wide sleeves.
He didn't hold the gun in his hand—any glint of metal could expose him.
He simply kept his wrist against the gun handle, feeling the faint coolness transmitted by the scale that soothed his inner fear.
Time passed minute by minute.
Lin Jie's nerves were stretched to the breaking point. He began doubting whether his judgment had been wrong.
Maybe Mist Walker had no desire to hunt tonight? Maybe his disguise was already full of flaws before its inhuman senses?
Just as he reached a narrow alley called "George Yard" with no light whatsoever, he stopped.
This was one of the areas marked with the highest danger coefficient on the map.
He leaned against the wall, his body slowly sliding down, curling up in the corner, pretending to have passed out drunk, having lost all consciousness.
He made his breathing even and faint, transforming himself into a pile of discarded trash, merging with the surrounding environment.
Suddenly, a faint sulfur scent drifted into his nostrils.
It's here!
Lin Jie's heart skipped a beat, but his body remained absolutely still.
This UMA possessed high intelligence—it would definitely conduct final observation and testing before launching an attack.
Any unreasonable reaction would immediately alert it, making it disappear without trace.
He could only gamble—bet that the other would believe everything it saw before its eyes.
Bet that this tired, dirty, alcohol-smelling "shell" was perfect, harmless prey.
The sulfur scent seemed to grow stronger, and the surrounding darkness deepened further.
Light appeared to be devoured by some invisible force, plunging this already dim alley into pitch-black darkness where you couldn't see your hand in front of your face.
Lin Jie could feel that something was silently seeping out from the wall shadows.
He couldn't see it, but he could sense it.
It was a cold, reptilian-like gaze focusing on him, scanning inch by inch, evaluating the quality of this dinner.
Lin Jie forced himself to maintain his "unconscious" state, not even twitching an eyelid.
But the hand hidden under his sleeve had slowly cocked the Webley Revolver's hammer to the firing position.